Posted inCurrent affairs

The least we owe them is a tear

If I was the parent of one of the 37 children killed by the Israeli bomb that hit the Lebanese town of Qana last night, the least I’d expect from the citizens of the country whose President and Secretary of State see no need for a cease fire that would have saved the lives of those innocents is this: A tear. Better, lots of them. Have we forgotten how to cry? Sometimes it takes a talented writer to remind us of what it means to be human. (Are you paying attention, George and Condoleezza?). I’ve just finished reading “God Laughs…
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Posted inCurrent affairs

David Gregory pitches Bush a hard question. Whiff!

This morning I was drowsily watching President Bush and Prime Minister Blair answer softball questions lobbed at them by a passive press corps when NBC’s David Gregory woke me up with a fast ball pitched right over the plate. “Mr. President, three years ago you argued that an invasion of Iraq would create a new stage of Arab-Israeli peace. Yet today there is an Iraqi prime minister who’s been sharply critical of Israel. Arab governments, despite your arguments for criticizing Hezbollah, have now changed their tune. Now they’re sharply critical of Israel. And despite, from both of you, warnings to…
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Posted inEntertainment

My TV confessions

As a lapsed Catholic who hasn’t made a formal confession in some forty-five years, sometimes I feel the need to lay my sins bare. Blogosphere, serve as my virtual confessor, for I have committed some venial (and maybe mortal) television watching sins. Fox News. I’ll start with my most shameful viewing act. During my morning cable news channel surfing I spend more time tuned to Fox News than CNN. My wife will notice and say (or scream), “Why are you watching that!” Well, because Fox is energetic, youthful, and hip while CNN is lethargic, mature, and drab. Plus, in the…
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Posted inCurrent affairs

Bush administration flip flop: now destroying embryos isn’t murder

Bush spokesman Tony Snow told us that Bush believes embryonic stem cell research is murder before he told us that it isn’t. Today at the White House press briefing Snow backed off the “murder” word, retreating to “The President has said that he believes this is the destruction of human life.” Hmmmm. So Bush vetoed a bill that would have allowed federal funding of embryonic stem cell research because this entails destroying human life. Yet it is OK if private funds destroy human life. I’m with Steve Young on this one: murder is murder no matter who’s paying. Oh, except…
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Posted inSalem

Images of Salem Art Fair 2006—I liked it hot

When we had no trouble finding a parking space yesterday just a few blocks from this year’s Salem Art Fair, I knew that Oregonians are indeed heat-weenies. And when Laurel started to complain about how hot it was even before we’d passed through one of the semi-voluntary gates, I knew that I was married to a true Oregonian (albeit one born in Illinois.) The $5 suggested admission fee this year is semi-voluntary because it would be easy to walk around the barrier. However, some pretty fearsome Girl Scouts were manning, or rather, girling, the gate. I wasn’t about to chance…
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Posted inHome life

Field mowing: my sweaty hell and heaven

I keep hearing of more and more people my age—late 50s, early 60s—who are moving to easy care condos with a few potted plants on the deck. Every year at field mowing time this seems like a damn good idea to me. And also, a horrible prospect. We’ve got about a dozen grassy areas on the five acres surrounding our house that need an annual mowing. Reasons: reduce fire danger, aesthetics, keep brush from growing in. Side benefit: gain insight into the adage, “What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.” This is a unpleasant job. My attitude hasn’t changed from…
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Posted inCurrent affairs

Bush believes embryonic stem cell research is murder

Take a look at this eight-cell human embryo. Does it look like a person? Would using it for stem cell research, rather than destroying it, be murder? President Bush believes so. That’s why he’s going to veto the stem cell legislation passed by Congress. Today White House Press Secretary Tony Snow was asked by a reporter, “Can you remind us why the President believes that it is more appropriate for stem cells to be thrown away than to be used in this case for medical research?” Snow’s answer: What the President has said is that he doesn’t want human life…
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Posted inSustainability

Camp Sherman threatened by Jefferson County

If you love Camp Sherman and the Metolius River, you need to help defend this beautiful piece of Oregon. For the Jefferson County Board of Commissioners is determined to cast aside Camp Sherman values in favor of zoning changes that would foster ticky-tacky development. As the Friends of the Metolius put it in their July newsletter: For twenty-five years Camp Sherman folks have worked for sensible, sensitive land use planning for the private land in the Metolius Basin. They have sought rules which would produce development that was small scale, low key, conservative, deliberate, that was protective of the natural…
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Posted inWriting/Weblogs

Blogs or books, it’s cool to comment

These “Pearls Before Swine” comic strips humorously address the sad state of the blogger who doesn’t get comments. I know just how the goat feels. It’s cool to get blog comments. Or, reader reviews. Last month Boudewijn Koole of The Netherlands made my day when I noticed his lengthy Amazon review of my book about Plotinus. The ending made me smile: Altogether this is a very valuable introduction into the original philosophy of Plotinos. Not difficult to read, nor does it reduce to meaninglessness the sometimes profound or complex questions that can be posed. On the contrary, this book is…
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Posted inCurrent affairs Humor

Request to be added to U.S. Terror Targets

Dear Secretary Chertoff: Today I noted with considerable satisfaction that the Department of Homeland Security includes a petting zoo and popcorn factory in your list of potential U.S. terror targets. Great work. I’m pleased that you’re thinking outside of the box when it comes to outsmarting the evildoers who wish to do us harm. What greater threat to the American way of life could there be than blowing a floppy-eared goat to smithereens, or striking a blow at our God-given right to chew noisily on overpriced snacks while watching a movie? My only concern is whether you have overlooked any…
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Posted inCurrent affairs Philosophy

Bush administration disrespects Wiccans

What’s the deal, President Bush? Your administration touts the importance of religion, yet the Department of Veteran Affairs refuses to put a religious symbol on the memorial for a decorated soldier killed in Afghanistan. A Wiccan symbol. Sgt. Patrick Stewart of the Nevada National Guard is the first Wiccan killed in combat. But 1,800 Wiccans are on active duty in the armed forces. And applications for the use of the pentacle on grave markers have been pending for nine years. I hope the several hundred thousand Wiccans in this country bring down upon Bush whatever karmic consequences he deserves for…
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Posted inHome life

My grocery list system, a gift to the world

I’m hugely proud of my grocery list system. I’ve worked on it for many years, evolving it into a highly refined state. It’s time to offer it to the world. Behold The Hines Household Grocery List! Click on this thumbnail and let it enlarge (erotic, isn’t it?) so that we can examine the fine points together. Now, the main use of this list is for my weekly shopping expedition. I’m the designated grocery hunter. I bring back the bulk of the supplies. My goal is to get everything on the list and to waste little time on getting anything that…
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Posted inCurrent affairs

It’s harder to support the troops

The sort of yellow ribbon magnet that I’d be willing to affix to my car would need really small lettering: “Support the troops, but not if they’re committing atrocities, or acting as if the Iraq conflict were a war rather than the occupation that it really is.” Yes, it’s getting harder to support the troops. What bothers me the most is the attitude, promulgated from the President on down, that we’re engaged in an “Iraq war.” That was only briefly true. Now its an Iraq occupation. Most of the insurgents that we’re fighting are home-grown, a nationalist reaction to a…
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Posted inRecreation

Metolius 4th of July

So here we are at our cabin on fireworks-free Metolius national forest land, carefully scheduling our visit so our loud-noise-phobic dog will escape the trauma of hearing booms and pops, and the early evening thunder has been enormous the past few days. Serena has spent a lot of time trembling inside closets, defying her name. There’s some profound philosophical message in this, but the 4th of July isn’t the time for deep thoughts. We spent most of the day walking around, enjoying the special character of this holiday on the Metolius River. Some cabins are decorated patriotically. There were low-key…
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Posted inDogs Home life

Aside from Lyme disease and a drug reaction, we’re doing fine

For the first time, the dog and I are on our own at our Camp Sherman cabin. Laurel is off at a family reunion in Kentucky. So Serena and I are keeping things interesting by getting Lyme disease (me) and a Xanax drug reaction (dog). Or so I've diagnosed. Hey, I’m looking at the bright side: it’s blogging material. I was planning to write about how Lars Larson, the bozo conservative talk show host, thinks that the Surgeon General’s report on the dire health effects of second-hand smoke is a bunch of crap, because Lars took a glance at it…
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